Tell us something good.
-d-d-d-d-
Kevin stepped out of the elevator and stopped when he saw Javi standing in front of him with a smile, "Big day, Bro."
"How do you mean?" Kevin looked to his partner in confusion.
"Unless my math is wrong, today is the last day for this," Javi held up the breathalyzer, "Unless you want us to keep doing it. We certainly can."
"No, no, if this is the last day, then it's the last day," Kevin smiled. "Let's do it."
"If you screw this up, I'm going to seriously hurt you," Javi warned him.
"I haven't had alcohol in six months," Kevin assured him. "Not even in my mouthwash."
"Moment of truth," Javi held the device up for Kevin to blow into the tube. He held his breath while waiting for the device to come up with the results.
"What's the verdict?" Kevin asked.
"Sober," Javi smiled. "Good job, Man. Lunch on me."
"Thank God," Kevin plopped down at his desk, "It was starting to get on my nerves."
"You've seemed better lately," Javi noted, "Happier."
"Have I?" Kevin asked. "I can try and be a little more depressed, if you want."
"Nah, I'm not pointing it out because it's a bad thing. I'm glad your happy. I'm just a bit curious about the turnabout," Javi replied, "Anything you're not telling me?"
"No," Kevin shook his head, "No one special in my life except my daughter."
"And she is pretty special," Javi smiled, "You have to let me take her for the day…that is if I can pry her away from young Ms. Castle. Those two are attached at the hip."
"No," Kevin shook his head. "The last time you took Sarah Grace for the day, she told me about the nice ladies who kept talking to you."
"She's a great little pick up prop," Javi chuckled, "Come on, Sarah Grace and I have so much fun together."
"Beckett, help me out," Kevin called across the bullpen. "Would you let Javi take your kid knowing he was only using her to pick up women?"
"I'm not only using Sarah Grace to pick up women," Javi scoffed.
"That's true," Kate said. "He's also using her to weed out the women who don't want kids."
"You make me sound like a horn dog always on the prowl," Javi scowled at him, "SG and I have fun. Ask her. She'll tell you."
"How about this weekend? I could use a quiet afternoon on Saturday," Kevin smiled.
"Saturday it is," Javi beamed, "I'll return her loaded with sugar and toys."
"I look forward to it," Kevin smiled.
"Happy six months sober, Ryan," Kate set a wrapped box on his desk.
"What's this?" Kevin glanced at the box.
"A gift," Kate smiled.
"I can see that," Kevin looked at her.
"Open it and find out," Kate nudged him.
Kevin lifted the box and peered inside. There was a framed picture of him and Sarah Grace. It was obviously taken recently as she was missing a tooth she'd just lost a few weeks ago.
"Where'd you get this?" Kevin set the picture in a prominent place on his desk.
"Martha took it," Kate smiled.
"Love that smile on Sarah Grace," Javi glanced at the picture.
"Yeah, she looks like Jenny," Kevin smiled.
There was an awkward silence between the trio.
"Guys, it's okay," Kevin assured him, "I can talk about Jenny without needing to hit the bottle."
"Good," Kate smiled. "I'm buying lunch today."
"Thought I was buying," Javi chimed in.
"Next time," Kate smiled.
"Don't argue with her. She's the boss," Kevin chuckled.
"That's right," Kate nodded.
"Let's get through the morning first," Javi glanced at his computer. His email box had blown up since he left the previous day. He and Kevin spent the rest of the morning running down clues on a few of the open cases they had going.
-d-d-d-d-d-
"Hi, Lexis," Sarah Grace greeted the familiar red head when she entered the apartment.
"Hey, Peanut," Alexis tweaked her nose in greeting, "How's my favorite little girl?"
"I'm bored," she sighed. "Daddy won't play Candyland with me."
"He won't?" Alexis frowned while placing her hands on her hips, "He's no fun. I'll play with you."
"Yay!" Sarah Grace danced happily and darted towards her bedroom to pull out her game.
"Hey," Kevin greeted Alexis.
"Hey," Alexis smiled, "How are things going, Detective? Sarah Grace says you won't play Candyland with her."
"I've already played about a dozen rounds with her today. Couldn't take one more," he snorted.
Alexis nodded and smiled before she turned serious, "I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure," he nodded, "What's going on?"
"First, Kate told me the good news. Congratulations," Alexis smiled.
"Six months sober," Kevin smiled. "Shouldn't I get a chip or something?"
"Will Pringles do?" Alexis handed him a can of sour cream and onion from her bag.
Kevin laughed, "Thank you."
"That brings me to the other thing," Alexis started.
"Yeah?"
"You don't need me anymore," Alexis said. "At least, you don't need me every day. I won't just drop out of Sarah Grace's life, but I think you're okay now."
Kevin felt a lump of emotion settle in his throat. His daughter wasn't the only one who looked forward to Alexis Castle's visits.
"Kev? Are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah," he nodded hesitantly and decided to switch gears, "I've been thinking about something, and I wanted your opinion."
"Shoot," Alexis sat down.
"I was thinking about maybe going out one night this weekend, you know to get myself back out in the world," he responded.
"Okay," Alexis gave a slow response, not completely understanding why he was seeking her opinion, "You don't need my permission…oh, are you asking me to babysit?"
"No, Javi and Lanie volunteered. I was asking you to come with me."
"Come out?" she asked, "Like a date?"
"No," Kevin shook his head quickly. "It's just a trial run, and you're the only woman I feel comfortable asking to help me."
"Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense," she nodded, "Sure, when and where should I meet you?"
"I'll pick you up tomorrow night at six?"
"Sounds like fun," she smiled when Sarah Grace came running in.
"I have Candyland ready, Lexis," Sarah Grace tugged on her hand.
"Okay, let's go."
Kevin released a breath he didn't know he was holding while he watched Alexis and Sarah Grace wander off.
-d-d-d-d-
Alexis opened the door and smiled at Kevin, "Hey, Detective. Right on time."
"Hey, Alexis," he returned the smile, "You look great."
"Thank you. You look good, too."
"Am I dressed alright?" Kevin smoothed down his tie, "Don't know what people wear anymore to go out."
"You're fine," Alexis reached out and straightened his tie. "I kind of like the suit and tie thing."
"Thanks again for agreeing to do this," he replied, "I needed a night out, but I'm too chicken to go it alone the first time."
"It's fine," Alexis shut the door behind her. "Truth be told, I was glad for the invitation. My alternatives consisted of listening to Kate and Dad pretend to watch a movie or seeing my Gram's latest show for the eighth time."
"Ready?" he offered her his arm.
"Absolutely," she took it.
-d-d-d-d-d-d-
Alexis accepted the menu from the hostess and smiled while taking in the restaurant's ambience. "I've been wanting to try this place for months."
"Glad you approve," Kevin smiled. Their waiter stood at the table waiting to take their drink orders. "Do you want a drink?"
"Just a soda," Alexis smiled at the waiter. Kevin asked for the same, and the waiter disappeared.
"What looks good to you?" Kevin asked after a quick glance at his menu.
"I'm not sure," Alexis read the menu. "I'm kind of in the mood for steak, but I know you don't eat a lot of red meat."
"Order whatever you want," he told her, "It's on me tonight. Think of this as a thank you for all you've done for me and Sarah Grace."
"So that's what this night out is about?" Alexis concluded, "A simple thanks is sufficient."
"No, this isn't what tonight's about," Kevin said, mentally scolding himself. "Obviously I'm grateful for what you did for me and Sarah Grace. A simple thanks is not even close to being enough."
"Kevin, I didn't barge into your life looking for any sort of thanks," Alexis replied, "I did it because you're a good guy, and Sarah Grace needed to see that."
"I didn't make it easy for you," Kevin smiled at her.
"No, that you did not, but I'm glad I didn't give up."
"I am too," he nodded.
Alexis looked around them, "How many of these people do you think are on a first date?"
"I'll go with less than six," he smirked.
Alexis smiled, "That couple by the fireplace."
"The couple next to them are on their last date," Kevin smirked.
"Oh, definitely," Alexis observed the embattled pair for a moment. "She's about two seconds away from slapping him."
"Couple by the kitchen," he nodded in another direction, "He's gonna propose."
"He does have that 'holy crap, please say yes' look," Alexis agreed. "My dad had that look right before he went to propose to Beckett."
"Yeah, I remember those ginormous butterflies," Kevin glanced at the wedding ring still on his hand, "One of the best days of my life was when Jenny said yes."
"Your wedding pictures were really beautiful," Alexis smiled. "How come you didn't wear your dress uniform?"
"Wasn't what Jenny wanted," he replied, "I learned early on to just go with the flow when it came to the wedding."
"Whoever gave you that advice was a very smart person," Alexis smiled.
"My dad," Kevin smiled.
"You look like him," Alexis nodded.
"Mom tells me that all the time," he chuckled, "I guess it could be worse. I could look like Elmer Fudd."
Alexis snorted with laughter, "I'm sorry. I just pictured you saying 'wascally wabbit'."
"I didn't think you'd even know the reference," he was mildly surprised, "It's a bit before your time."
"My dad always watched the old school cartoons on Saturday morning. Naturally I watched with him."
"Sometimes I forget what a big kid he is," Kevin responded.
Alexis smiled and then looked around the restaurant, "She said yes."
"He's a lucky man," Kevin stated.
"Do you ever think about dipping your toe back into the dating world?" Alexis asked, "I mean when you're ready…I'm not saying you have to be yet…It hasn't been all that long, but it would be okay even if you were ready now…I'm rambling, please stop me."
"I have thought about it, yes," Kevin nodded. "I guess I just figured I'll know when I'm ready."
"Whenever you figure out you are, I hope you pick someone who appreciates how wonderful you are," Alexis replied.
Kevin nodded and kept his eyes on her even after she looked back down at her menu, wishing like hell he had the nerve to tell her the real reason why he'd asked her to come out with him tonight.
The waiter returned with beverages and took their order. Alexis asked their server a few questions about the menu and then placed her order. Having not truly given the menu much of a glance, Kevin hastily ordered the first thing on the menu he thought he'd like.
-d-d-d-d-d-
"I love that movie," Alexis sighed as she and Kevin left the theater after dinner. "I tried to get Sarah Grace to watch it with me, but she was bored in five minutes."
"Kids just don't have an appreciation for the classics," Kevin smiled, "Colors are more exciting."
"I guess," Alexis smiled. "I wanted ask you something before I forget. Would you mind if I took Sarah Grace to the circus next weekend?"
"Not at all," he replied, "I bet she'll love it."
"Great. I know you guys are working otherwise I'd have given you the tickets."
"I hope you know how much she loves spending time with her Lexis," he replied.
"I love spending time with her too. I'll be sorry when it ends."
"It doesn't have to end," Kevin responded, "She loves spending time with you. I'm not sure why you feel you need to stop spending time with her."
"You're not going to stay single forever. I don't think whoever you start dating is going to love the idea of Sarah Grace spending so much time with me."
"What a good way to weed out the bad apples," he stated. "Anyone who has a problem with you and Sarah Grace isn't worth my time or effort."
Alexis rolled her eyes as she started to walk, "We should get going."
"It's such a nice night," Kevin noted, "It would be a shame to waste it. How about a walk through the park?"
"Okay," Alexis nodded. "That sounds nice."
Kevin's hand fell to the small of her back as he guided her across the street. There was a tiny shiver of electricity which passed between them.
"Thank you for tonight. It was a lot of fun."
"It's been my pleasure," Kevin replied.
"Good trial run?" Alexis asked.
"Trial run?"
"For becoming social again," Alexis clarified.
"Oh, yeah, I guess," he remembered the excuse he offered to get her to agree to their night out, "Actually I have a bit of a confession to make."
"Oh?" Alexis prompted him.
"I didn't ask you out tonight because I wanted to become social again. I had another reason."
"I knew it."
"You did?"
"Yeah," Alexis nodded. "I don't know if it's a good idea."
"Oh."
"She's not really the maternal type."
"What?"
"I know it's none of my business, but Taylor isn't crazy about kids. I mean if you're just looking for sex, then yeah, she's your girl."
"What? No, that's not what I was going to say," Kevin responded, "I've no interest in Taylor. It's, um, you."
"What?" Alexis stopped and stared at him.
"Oh boy," Kevin took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. He knew this was the moment of truth. "Here goes nothing…When you first started coming around, I was…less than appreciative of your efforts, but the more you were around, the more I looked forward to you being around. When you said the other day you weren't going to be around as much anymore, it was like someone knifed me in the gut. I'm not ready to not see you anymore…don't know if I ever will be."
"Oh God," Alexis breathed. "Kevin, I, um…Oh God. You and I are not a good idea. First of all, I am way too involved in your daughter's life. If we got romantic, and it went south, we'd break her heart. Then there's you and my dad. He thinks of you as a brother, and I do not want him to lose you or Javi, because let's face it, Javi would never go against you for anything short of an eternity in hell. Then there's you. You're not ready for anything like this."
"You're right," Kevin nodded, "All of it is true, but what if everything worked out, and you and I worked out? It could be really, really good."
"You're a good man, Kevin, and any woman would be so lucky to have you and Sarah Grace in her life," Alexis said. "I value our friendship way too much to take that chance. It took too long to build. I don't want to mess that up."
"Are you saying what you truly feel or what you think needs to be said?" he asked.
"I'm saying what I know is the right thing. You and I are friends. That's all we should be."
"Should be," Kevin picked out, "Alexis, I'm not good at reading between the lines. I just need you to tell me I'm way off base. If I am, then I'll back off, and we'll pretend like entire conversation never happened."
"Kevin, don't," Alexis said. "Don't push."
"You do feel something," he realized.
"That's irrelevant," Alexis responded, "Kevin, you're still in mourning. Now isn't the time for any of what you're talking about."
"Tell me I'm out of my mind or off base or out of line," Kevin said. "Do that and I'll never bring it up again, but if you can't honestly say you don't feel anything, I'm not giving up."
"Kevin, just slow down," Alexis suggested, "I'm not going anywhere."
"Which means?"
"Jenny has only been gone for eight months. You had zero warning. Once the shock wore off, you dove into the first bottle that presented itself and numbed yourself to everything. The only reason you're not still doing that is because I forced you out of it. I think it's way too soon for you to even attempt anything romantic."
"Yes, all of what you just said makes complete sense, but when I look at you, all of that sense goes completely out the window. All I can think about is how much I want to kiss you."
"And that's my exit cue," Alexis started to back away. "Thank you for tonight. Tell Sarah Grace I will see her this weekend for the circus."
"Alexis, wait," Kevin reached for her hand,
"Kevin, take your time," Alexis tried again, "I'll wait."
"I don't want you to wait," Kevin shook his head, "Especially knowing I'm not alone in this."
Alexis took a deep breath. "Kevin, we have plenty of time."
Kevin swallowed hard, "The morning before Jen died, we'd talked about having another baby. I wanted to. She wanted to wait another year because 'we have plenty of time'. The future is not guaranteed, Alexis. I don't want to waste it."
"You're an amazing man," Alexis touched his face, "When you're ready, we'll give this the best shot we can, but I would hate myself if we rushed this and things didn't work out because of it."
"Can I just do one thing before you leave?"
"Okay," she nodded reluctantly.
Kevin smiled and then kissed her.
Despite all her protest, Alexis couldn't stop herself from returning the kiss.
Kevin smiled as they broke the kiss, "That was so much better than I'd ever thought it would be."
"Yeah, it was," she felt her knees had gone a bit weak, "I think we should take this slow."
"How slow?"
"Well, for now, I'm going to say goodnight, and we'll talk tomorrow," she bit her lip, "We'll figure out the rest as we go."
"Okay," Kevin smiled. "Goodnight, Angel."
"Good night, Kevin," Alexis pecked at his lips quickly before leaving.
It wasn't until Alexis had returned to her father's loft that she realized Kevin had called her angel. She liked it.
-d-d-d-d-
Please?